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tv   Al Jazeera World News  LINKTV  December 28, 2012 5:30am-6:00am PST

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>> anti-government protests continued in iraq as sectarian divisions continue to deepen. hello, and welcome to al jazeera live from doha. these are our top stories. a desperate syrian father tells us why he tried to kill his own child during his escape to lebanon. 's plans be aware, china posse to force them to reveal their names. the deaf -- the members accused of the death of an gresham
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lawyer has been acquitted. -- russian lawyer has been acquitted. >> thousand people are in the streets in iraq to protest against the government. now, these are live pictures. the minority sunni moslem community accusing the she opera minister nora al-maliki of discrimination and refusing to share power. this is the live pictures out of northern iraq. our correspondent joins me now from the town of ramadi. the protests are very large and are continuing. they seem to have blocked a key highway. how do you assess the size of the crowds in relation to what they are demonstrating about? >> i think the rumble of the crowd is very big because the picture you are seeing is one
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angle. the other side of the bridge -- i do not know if you can see the bridge is -- there are also thousands of people gathered here in ramadi. and this highway basically links back down to fallujah and then to ramadi. and then back up. a very vital highway. of course, coming here, a lot of iraqi army checkpoints. my understanding is they were presenting people from coming because one of the speakers at the rally called on the government to stop preventing people joining because the organizers here believe that this project not only -- sunni claims of discrimination and marginal was asian. they say the issue is wider and it involves also shiites and also kurds. so i think the crowd is very
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significant. >> you will be following those events for us. thank you perry -- thank you. diplomatic efforts to end the fighting in syria appear to be regaining momentum very russia, one of the few major powers to maintain links with the syrian regime has sent invitation for talks to the head of the opposition syrian national coalition. the russian foreign minister sergei lavrov says he believes the transitional governments with assad still in power for a time must be put in place. he said both sides must agree to a peace plan to avoid for the chaos. >> we are against any interference from outside parties, outside countries in syria. we have an understanding that we need a ceasefire in order to save the lives of citizens and we agree the geneva convention contains the elements to move forward for a political settlement. >> the lives of millions of children have been affected by
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the war in syria. thousands of families have escaped across the border to lebanon. the united nations estimates more than 126,000 registered syria refugees there. but getting away from the fighting can be a terrifying experience. >> at a time millions of children are playing with new toys but these children do not. but they do have the natural creativity. she would like to join in the games but she was paralyzed when the syrian army attacked her house. the shrapnel that pierced her spine also took away her ability to speak. her mother was killed. she is now being looked after by her aunt. machine've got to this to try to stimulate her leg and back. doctors say it is too early for surgery on her spine but they believe she may have a chance to be cured. >> there are hundreds of
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families here with a harrowing stories of the ski. her mother and father were terrified of being caught by the syrian army. the fear was so profound they made the decision no parent should ever have to live with. >> we were 1400 men, women, and children fleeing by night on ford. you're the border we had to walk a narrow path between two army post. she was hungry and started to cry. we were sure of the founders the entire group would be killed. uncle. i could tell a mother to smother her -- i was crying -- but i thought the death if it could save the lives of. >> but they found the girl was still breathing. there are at least 18 of this year and families in the town and the local people of doing their best to accommodate them. with the help of donors and relief agencies, small houses.
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makeshift homes like these are scattered all over the border town which has received up to 11,000 refugees from syria. that is the only solution people here could find after authorities decided no refugee camps should be created for the syrian crisis. after escaping the horrors of the war in syria, these refugees are happy for the peace and safety they found in lebanon. al jazeera. northeastern lebanon. >> eight u.s. soldiers are suing the tokyo and to power co. for alleged radiation exposure. they claim it lied about the threat posed by leaks after the march 2011 earthquake and tsunami. the damp -- that they missed the fukushima nuclear plant. heavy 8 were involved in relief operations in areas around the plant. japan piece in the government says it whalers are heading out to the sea but only carrying out research.
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the main group departed on the annual hunt in the southern ocean surrounding antarctica. japan introduced scientific whaling to avoid a commercial willing than under a 1986 moratorium. a man and australia survived being mauled by a shark. he was serving in new south wales. he lost a finger and chunk of his five. putting on a brave face for the cameras but shark attacks are unusual this time of year. >> the dolphins swimming all around him and all of the sudden the sharp just comes up and took for the chunks out of him and then he'd actually put the nose of the board into the bull shark's head. >> did a marvelous job. >> the chinese government has approved a law forcing internet users to use their real names. china says the new rules will help prevent rumors from spreading and clamp down on corruption. but on-line freedom advocates
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say the policy is intended to stifle dissent. robert bride is in hong kong and send this report. >> this is a very controversial regulation which, as you would expect, gained a quick response from internet users themselves. in china, many commenting it takes the internet in a backward move. critics have argued that this will mean that anybody who posts anything controversial, anything the authorities in china do not like, will be this possible for that and face recriminations. the authorities themselves, though, argue this is merely a measure to protect the rights of citizens to keep their personal information on the net to private and also it would stop rumormonger ring, unfounded rumor mongering of which there have been a number of examples in recent times, causing panic and alarm among citizens in china. it also does seem to indicate which way the new regime will go, as other has been much talk
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about a new change of direction when it comes to, say, running the economy, clamping down on corruption, when it comes to keeping control of the flow of information and ideas within china -- it seems very little has changed. >> russia's president the addameer putin signed a bill banning u.s. citizens from adopting russian children. the legislation has already been approved by the russian parliament. rights group says it children in russia that a crowd of orphanage system will have less chance finding homes as it becomes law. legislation is being seen as some as a reaction to the recently enacted law barring rushing -- russian human-rights violations -- violators into the u.s. which came into force of this month. it was named after an anti- corruption lawyer who died in a moscow prison. now the doctor who was looking after him has been acquitted of the charges linking him to the death. >> with a state prosecution dropping charges against the
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russian prison officer on monday, today that the acquittal was hardly a surprise. dmitri kratow was the only man facing charges following the death in police custody as the anti-corruption lawyer in 2009. the deputy head of the prison where he died was accused of denying him urgently needed medical aid which led to his death. survey magnitsky was an advisor to once the company's biggest equity fund and uncovered the largest tax fraud in russian history involving top officials of the mafia. but magnitsky soon found themselves behind bars. according to his diary, he was abused and tortured and held is what the conditions and died in prison does days before the 1- year limit he could be held without trial. natalia magnitskaya still looking for justice for the sun. the acquittal only confirms our belief the trial was a sham and
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those irresponsible for his death will go unpunished. peter sharp, al jazeera. >> still ahead -- generals were called -- general schwarzkopf who led it to victory in the first gulf war has died. why a group aimams in the u.k. base eyeing women who marry out of their faith should be accepted. >> more lively showers coming in across parts of northern australia, particularly of course -- across the north and west. an area of clouds tumbling its way in there. a good deal whether -- wetter. is still very hot in perth, temperatures around 30 degrees
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celsius looking for high temperatures around 32 for brisbane. drying out toward the southeast. rain affecting new zealand the next couple of days -- further north we may see a tropical storm developing around the solomon islands which would bring increasingly what weather across the region. pretty wet across the good part of southern india and sri lanka, the northeast monsoon, one terrain's across a good part of sri lanka now struggling with widespread flooding. over 300,000 affected. north, largely dry. winter weather along afghanistan and northern pakistan and the far north of india, in the process of petering out. we have rain petering out across the arabian peninsula. in doha, lively downpours into the overnight period into friday.the fall, saturday 8:30
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eastern. >> welcome back.
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our top stories on al jazeera. thousands of people are in the streets of iraq to protest against the government. most are from the minority sunni muslim community, accusing shia prime minister of discrimination. more howling reports from syrians recently escaped to lebanon. on the diplomatic front, russia and by this. 's main opposition group to moscow for more talks on ending the crisis. china approved new rules for bloggers to use their real names. critics say it is an attempt to curtail freedom of speech and could prevent people from exposing corrupt officials. in south asia a young woman, but it -- committed suicide after being gang raped. she left a note blaming the police and the rapist. this is a different case than the one his fourth protest earlier in the week. >> morning loss of a daughter
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and a friend, this young woman was just 17 when she was gang raped in the punjab. three people abducted her, raped several times and left her on the side of the road. she was so traumatized she took her own life with a dose of poison. and a suicide note she left, she blames not only the rapist but the police to try to get her to drop the case and marry one of the attackers. >> for almost 14 days, no action was taken. no case was registered and no arrest was made. attemots also made to hush up the case by arriving at a compromise but nothing happened. >> with cases such as in this that made people so angry at india where a rape was reported every 20 minutes. protest for almost two weeks after a 22-year old medical student was gang raped in delhi and she is fighting for her life in singapore. people want an end to the violent attacks and they say the
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police and the government need to do more. on friday the indian prime minister tried to assure people he is hearing their calls. >> as far as the punishment is concerned, we have appointed a committee -- the chief justice of india, to suggest ways and means of modifications in the crimes against women. >> back and plunged out, the officer in charge of the police station has been fired been backedin punjab. and two men and a woman have been arrested. little consolation for the relatives. the kind of action people in india want to see. >> staying in the country, the head of india's largest business group handed the reins to somebody outside the family and for the first time. has officially given control of the business to a new chairman. tata, who steered the group for
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21 -- 21 years transform do it -- transformed into a streamline conglomerate. tata is in the apostle largest group of total combined sales of $100 billion last year. as the u.s. economy moves rapidly toward falling off the fiscal cliff, president obama is about to give a final push. negotiating with congressional leaders from both political parties. from the democrat-controlled senate, top democrat harry reid, and the top republican mitch mcconnell. senator reid says there is no time to reach a deal. mr. mcconnell says he is more optimistic. then from the republican controlled house of representatives, the top republican john boehner has rejected president obama's previous offers and the morse -- most senior democrat in the house, nancy pelosi. what is the cliff and can be avoided? >> the house of representatives
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will be going back into session sunday but at this point we do not know what kind of measure they have before them that they can consider for a vote. there has been no indication from the white house or the republican leadership that they are anywhere near any kind of makings of a deal that they could present to the house republican leadership -- or the house republican rank-and-file who so far have been adamantly opposed to tax increases at any level of income, which is an absolute prerequisite for president obama. if they do not come to some kind of agreement, but that tax to be voted on -- and there is doubt that it is logistically possible before new year's day -- then the most immediate impact would be the loss all unemployment relief checks for 2 million americans as well as payroll tax holiday that will come to an end, which means tax increases that over the year could total
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2000-$3,000 a year for a family. >> school teachers in the u.s. state of utah and are being offered training in handgun and handling firearms. gun rights advocates have been coaching 200 teachers in the use of concealed weapons after the sandy hook shooting in connecticut. the national rifle association proposed placing an army officer at every u.s. school. -- armed officer. the man who led u.s. forces in the first gulf war general norman schwarzkopf has died. he was aged 78 and had been suffering from cancer. a look back at his career. >> not since world war ii had an american general commanded such a broad coalition of international forces with such apparent success. less than a week after ground combat began, general norman schwarzkopf said down with the defeated iraqi army to formally end of the first gulf war.
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some three-quarters of a million u.s. to my european, and arab troops took part in the vast air and ground campaign backed by u.n. resolutions to throw occupying iraqi forces out of kuwait. the architect of the military victory was a big man in every sense. a lifelong soldier from an army family, norman schwarzkopf became a household name. >> he was one of those officers that stayed in the military after the vietnam war and helped to rebuild it. pam he was known for his sharp temper but he won praise for his ability to keep the coalition forces working together. his strategy of encircling the iraqi army brought fighting to an end quickly and with few casualties on the u.s.-led side. but attacks on retreating iraqi units led to criticism of his leadership, as did the decision to allow the defeated iraqi military to fly armed helicopters within its borders. they were subsequently used to put down kurdish and shi'ite
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uprisings which could have brought down the iraqi -- like other famous generals, he largely stayed out of politics. 12 years after the end of the gulf war and the military campaign he led, u.s. forces went back to iraq to force saddam hussein from power. al jazeera, washington. >> a memorial service is about to be held for civilians killed a year ago in an air strike on the turkish border with iraq. 17 children were among the group of 34 killed by f-16 jets after being spotted crossing the border in unmanned drone footage. 12 months on, him rights watch says there was no accountability of the incident. our reporter on the turkey-iraq border explains why relatives are still waiting for a proper
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investigation. >> there is some secrecy on the investigations because there is an army investigation and they keep it secret so far. the turkish prime minister made comments to about the incident, but he is not sure to do a clear statement that relieves the people here in this village of the families, and they are all waiting for the final result that comes after the investigations. and they want the authorities to fasten the process and, with a clear result. >> heavy rain continues to fall and parts of sri lanka hit by recent floods. at least 32 people have been killed by high water and landslides. dozens of villages remain submerged, forcing around 25,000 people to take shelter in emergency centers. the air force and army have been deployed to help with rescue efforts.
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a palestinian-it is really a politician whose -- triggered a brawl says she is a victim of racism. she has been disqualified from running in the general election. she is criticized for undermining israel after she joined an international aid flotilla in 2010 to challenge is ruhl's blockade of the gaza strip. the supreme court has until sunday to decide whether to uphold the ban. >> is trying not just to disqualify me but also the arab citizens in israel. because i represent those who vote for me, and the right wing in the knesset, which is the majority, is planning to deligitimate the arab vote in the knesset. it is my responsibility as a palestinian, as a human being,
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to struggle against the occupation of my people, to struggle against the oppression of my people and to struggle against the racism. >> france is seen 19th consecutive rise of consecutiveto 3.1 million people -- consecutive rise in unemployment to 3.1 million people. >> times are tough on the french high street, which means second- hand stores are doing good business. many shoppers came here to buy their christmas presents. now that the holiday is over, the trade is in the opposite direction. >> i have been waiting for people to bring back their christmas present. >> the manager is preparing for a busy few days as people discover they received gifts they do not want or brought -- bought things that cannot afford. >> we have to explain to people
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we can't give full price for the items they bring in. the shop has to provide. we try to make just a small margin on new goods. >> it is an expensive time of year. the school holidays have another week to one, and keeping children occupied can be a costly business. many families can't afford to take them ice skating or to the theater. at times when people are tightening their belts, it is the little luxuries that have to go first. unfortunately it also includes treats for the children. which is why the town hall in paris is helping out. for two weeks, the rides on his merry go round are free. >> i think it is excellent. it allows all families to enjoy themselves, especially toward the end of the year holiday. >> we hear a lot about the economic crisis. i do not want to give into
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detail. let's just say we are watching our wallets. >> there are also gifts for the down and out, thanks to the work of this charity. homeless people say they often get bored on the street. now they are receiving radios. although one man admitted he was more likely to sell his them listen to it. jacky rowland, al jazeera, paris. >> and is really has been held in madrid over plans to cut -- a rally has been held in madrid over plans to cut jobs at the airline iberia. iberia is part of the international airlines group which includes british airways. the company says the restructuring should produce profits in the next few years. 350,000 shareholders in a troubled spanish bank learn their investments may be wiped out. bankia revealed losses are worse than expected. pensioners among those who are
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hit. the european bailout means shareholders must be the first to bear losses. in britain, an increasing number of muslim women are defying their religion by mailing out of their faith. the women are often ostracized from the families and communities. some experience violence. now in a ground-breaking move, muslim and christian groups are calling for interfaith marriages to be accepted. a report from london. >> when she told a deeply religious parents she intended to marry non-muslim, they were devastated. feared us because it would not be islamic league valid she would be committing a grave sin. >> a mother was very hostile because she said you cannot marry outside of your religion because it would cause massive issues in the future. fundamentally the biga problem thelly, i cannot marry outside of my faith and what does it mean as a muslim and for the community and how they perceive me. >> her husband, a christian, did
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not convert. >> we believe in one god. we have a similar book. in the form of the

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